A smoothie is a finely blended juice made of raw vegetables, fruits, and dairy products like milk or yogurt. Smoothies can also be 100% fruit or vegetable or a mix of both, and free of dairy products. The creamy texture can make a smoothie appealing to children. Moreover, you can mix fruits with vegetables.

Smoothies can be healthy and are easy to make. You can serve them during breakfast or as evening snacks. They can be had on-the-go, convenient for parents and for kids. However, if your child likes to eat fruits, it is good to give them in whole.

In this post, MomJunction shares some interesting smoothies for kids.

Homemade Or Packaged Smoothies?

The popularity of smoothies has encouraged businesses to come up with ready-to-go smoothies in different flavors. While it is okay to occasionally have a packaged smoothie, homemade smoothies made from fresh fruits and vegetables are always better.

When buying a ready-to-consume smoothie, make sure that you read the labels thoroughly to know the ingredients. Pick smoothies low in sodium and no added sugar.

Healthy Smoothie Recipes For Kids

Green Smoothies For Kids

Made from dark green vegetables and leafy vegetables, these smoothies are packed with essential nutrients.

1. Kale Banana Smoothie

This smoothie recipe is a seamless blend of ingredients. Kale and banana get topped by good fats from flaxseeds and soy milk.

Image: iStock

You will need:

2 cups chopped kale

1 banana

1tsp flax seeds

½ cup unsweetened soy milk

1tsp maple syrup

How to make:

Ground the flax seeds in a blender.

Add the banana, chopped kale, maple syrup, and soy milk to the blender and blend for two mins.

2. Spinach Apple Smoothie

If your kids hate spinach, disguise its flavor with apple and banana in this recipe. The smoothie also contains yogurt, which is a source of probiotics. The other ingredients contain prebiotics. This recipe is a good pre-probiotic blend to maintain a healthy gut microbiome for your kid.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

1 cup chopped spinach leaves

1 ripe banana

1/2 apple, peeled and chopped

1 cup grapes, preferably seedless

1 tub vanilla yogurt

How to:

Slice the banana (without peel) and remove the seeds from the grapes, if any.

Put the banana, chopped spinach leaves, grapes, yogurt, and apple in a blender and blend for two mins, or until you achieve a smooth mixture.

Serve fresh.

Preparation Time:10minsServings: 2

3. Honeydew Melon Cucumber Smoothie

This smoothie is good to try during summers as its ingredients provide the much needed cool feel. Moreover, this recipe helps rehydrate with a boost of multivitamins and multi-minerals.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

1 honeydew melon

1 cup green grapes, preferably seedless

1 cucumber peeled and diced

1/4 cup mint leaves

How to:

Peel the honeydew melon, remove seeds and dice it.

Add the melon cubes, green grapes, cucumber pieces and mint leaves to a blender and blend for a minute.

Serve fresh.

Preparation Time: 10minsServings: 4

4. Spinach and Kale Smoothie

When your children refuse to eat dark green or leafy vegetables, get them to drink it. Here’s a recipe for a healthy yet tasty green smoothie for kids.

Image: Shutterstock

You will need:

2 cups chopped spinach leaves

1tbsp peanut butter

1 kale leaf

I sliced banana, frozen or fresh

1 cup almond milk

How to:

Wash the spinach and kale leaves and chop them.

Add the spinach and kale leaves, almond milk, and peanut butter to a blender and puree them for a minute, or until you have a smooth mixture.

Add the banana and blend for another 30 seconds, or until you get the desired consistency.

Serve fresh.

Preparation Time: 10minsServings:1

Breakfast Smoothies For Kids

A smoothie is an excellent choice of breakfast because it is easy to prepare and is packed with nutrients that your child needs.

5. Papaya Smoothie

Papaya is rich in vitamins A and C, and minerals like potassium, calcium, and magnesium. The fruit also has fiber and antioxidants that can help your kids stay healthy.

Image: iStock

You will need:

1 papaya, peeled and diced

1 cup low-fat yogurt

1/2 cup pineapple chunks

1tsp coconut extract

1tsp flax seed

Crushed ice

How to:

Peel the papaya and dice it.

Add the papaya pieces, pineapple chunks, yogurt, coconut extract, flax seed, and ice to a blender and blend them for a minute, or until you have a smooth mixture.

Blend the berries, yogurt, sliced bananas, and ice for a minute, or until you get the desired consistency.

Serve fresh.

Preparation Time: 5minsServings: 4

Fruit Smoothies For Kids

8. Green Grape Smoothie

Grapes are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants. Their sweet and tangy taste can add flavor to the green smoothie. Here’s how you can make a grape smoothie for kids.

Image: IStock

You will need:

2 cups of grapes, preferably seedless

1 banana, frozen or fresh

Handful of Italian parsley

1 cup spinach leaves

1/2 cup of low-fat milk or water

How to:

Wash the spinach and grapes properly.

Slice the banana and remove the seeds from the grapes, if any.

Blend all the ingredients to the desired consistency and serve.

Preparation Time:10minsServings: 1

9. Banana Smoothie

One of the simplest fruit smoothies you can make for your kid, the banana smoothie is rich in potassium and vitamin C. The cinnamon powder added to this recipe is a source of antioxidants and other bioactive compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties. The blend of ingredients in this recipe can help boost your child’s health.

Image: iStock

You will need:

2 bananas

1 cup milk, preferably low-fat

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Water for consistency

Ice cubes (optional)

Cinnamon powder (optional)

How to:

Blend banana and milk until the fruit is sliced or chopped.

Add the brown sugar and water and blend again for 10 seconds.

Add ice if you want and blend the mixture again for a minute.

Top it with cinnamon powder and serve chilled.

You can replace regular milk with soy milk or almond milk if you want a dairy-free smoothie.

Add the beetroot, apple, blueberries, and grated ginger to a blender and puree till you get a smooth mixture.

Add water to adjust consistency and blend again for 20 seconds.

Serve fresh.

Preparation Time: 10minsServings: 1

17. Orange Carrot Smoothie

This recipe combines some of the healthiest ingredients, namely coconut water, goji berries, carrots, and oranges.

Image: iStock

You will need:

2 oranges, peeled and seeded

½ cup diced carrots

3tbsp cashews

2tbsp goji berries

1 cup coconut water

Ice cubes

How to:

Blend the oranges, grated carrot, cashews, goji berries, and coconut water for a minute.

Add ice cubes and blend again for a few seconds.

Serve immediately.

Preparation Time: 10minsServings: 2

Protein Smoothies For Kids

18. Banana And Almond Butter Protein Smoothie

Proteins are the building blocks of our bodies. Give your kids the goodness of protein with this smoothie. Almond butter and milk, apart from providing nutrition, will give drool-worthy taste to this recipe.

19. Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie

If your kid loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, they will love this smoothie. It is rich in protein and a great energizer. The flavors are delicious, with just the right ingredients to give your child’s health a boost.

Image: iStock

You will need:

2tbsp peanut butter

2tbsp blackberry jelly

2 cups milk

1 frozen banana

2tbsp honey

2tsp wheat germ

How to:

Add all the ingredients into a blender and blend for a minute, or until you get the desired consistency is achieved.

Serve fresh.

Preparation Time: 2minServings: 5

Chocolate Smoothies For Kids

20. Chocolate Almond Milk Smoothie

Almost every kid loves chocolate. Their love for chocolate is unconditional, and hence they truly deserve this smoothie. Here’s a recipe for the ultimate chocolate smoothie for your kids.

Image: iStock

You will need:

½ cup unsweetened almond milk or low-fat cow’s milk

¾ cup chocolate yogurt

2tbsp cocoa powder

Dark chocolate for topping

Ice cubes

How to:

Add milk and frozen chocolate yogurt to the blender and puree them to get a smooth consistency.

21. Peanut Butter Chocolate Smoothie

Peanuts are rich in protein and low in cholesterol. The blend of this power nut with banana, yogurt, and chocolate syrup makes it the most loved amongst kids.

Image: iStock

You will need:

½ cup low-fat milk

2tbsp chocolate syrup

2tbsp peanut butter (creamy)

1 sliced banana, frozen or fresh

1 cup (8 ounces) low-fat vanilla yogurt

How to:

Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend them until you get a smooth mixture.

Serve fresh.

Preparation Time:5minServings:2

Tips To Make Healthy Smoothies Appealing For Kids

If you want to ensure that your children are hooked to healthy smoothies, here are a few tricks you can use.

When you are introducing your kids to smoothies, make sure the ingredients are to their liking. If they love chocolate, make a chocolate-flavored smoothie with a dash of fruit.

Make the idea of smoothies exciting – get your children involved in the process. Let them make smoothies with fruits of their choice, on the condition that they will drink it. Guide them to make sure that the smoothie they make is edible.

If your child does not like eating vegetables, you can disguise the tastes of vegetables with fruits or dairy products like cream or yogurt. For example, if you want to add broccoli or spinach to the smoothie, you can add a strawberry, banana, or grapefruit to give it a sweet and tangy flavor.

To make smoothies fun during summer, you can make popsicles from them.

Smoothies can be a great way of including more fruits and vegetables in your child’s diet. If your child is a fussy eater, then smoothies may help replenish the food your child left at the table during their last meal. Remember to keep smoothies healthy by avoiding artificial colors and sweeteners. Keeping it natural is the ideal choice for your child’s good health.

Try our recipes for healthy smoothies for kids and let us know what you think! Do write to us in the comments section below.

All rights reserved. This information is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional health services. See a medical professional for personalized consultation. Please read our Disclaimer.